We start with a bang. The Lord will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that He can kill “from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill.” That’s pretty nasty. What did all the Egyptians do to deserve this? What did Pharaoh, who was willing to let them go after the second plague, do to deserve this?
It doesn’t matter how badly this affects this Egyptians, since this is about teaching the Gentiles a lesson: don’t mess with The Lord, or the Chosen People. “I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh.” It’s also teaching the Israelites a lesson: fear your Lord. No matter how much it seems I’m letting you down, I will save you in the end. So how well did that work 1933-1945?
Then there’s the Red Sea. The Lord is once again setting up the Pharaoh for the fall. He specifically has the Israelites wander around the desert a bit just to lure Pharaoh and his armies out (and of course, hardens his heart some more). So rather than just going straight and getting away clean, he has to perform a massacre that will be remembered for millennia.
This pretty much sums up the sociopath:
14:3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so.
He’s not just omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, but also narcissistic and sadistic.
Getting back around to the conduct of the Israelites themselves, before they left Egypt, they looted the place. Exodus 12:36 “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:”
Have they given it back yet?
On a personal note, I’ve been going to my Grandmother’s pseudo-Seder for the past twenty years. It’s just an excuse to get the family together. But now, I learn that we’ve done it all wrong. First of all, we’re supposed to have roast lamb, with the head and organs. Second, I should be standing, with my cloaked tucked in, wearing my sandals, and holding my staff. I’m going to do that next year.
I’m also supposed to be sacrificing the first born of my livestock. I guess my children won’t miss the first guinea pig from the litter this past weekend. There are three more, and it’s for a good cause.
Tomorrow: Exodus 16-18